Wednesday, October 24, 2018

#Jerome, AZ Inspires Joshua, AZ #Series by Brenda Whiteside #suspense #romance


My latest WIP (work in process) is based on a real-life mining town turned ghost town turned tourist town. I fell in love with Jerome, Arizona years ago. In order to have more flexibility with the lay of the land and the history, I've renamed it Joshua. All the people in Joshua are purely from my imagination. This Romantic Suspense Series should keep
Hanging on the side of Spirit Mt.
you turning the pages long into the night. An unsolved murder from 1990 has a bearing on today…especially now that a body, reduced to bones, has been found in the hippie section of town called The Ravine.

Chapter Eight is in the hands of my critique partners. I'm working on nine and ten. FDW and I took a drive to Jerome a couple of weeks ago, which is where the setting my imaginary town is modeled after. Now that I’m this far into the book, I found myself seeing the town as if it really was Joshua. The street names were no longer what the street sign designated them. At one point, I told
FDW I needed a shot of the Ghostly Goulash restaurant. He had no idea what I meant.

A section of town call The Ravine plays a big part in my book. As 
Looking down into The Ravine.
in real life (the Gulch), the inhabitants of that area do not welcome visitors. This section was where the first hippies mainly settled in the 60s and many of them still live there. Through flashbacks, I tell a story set in 1969 about some of those first hippies who ended up making Joshua what it is today. We drove a few yards into the area so I could snap some photos. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good feel for it. My fictionalized edition is much more vivid to me.

This series is stretching my writing abilities. It's a suspense within a suspense that begins in 1969, ramps up in 1990, and culminates in 2019. Through flashbacks the reader will experience a passionate romance, mystery, and suspense that is interwoven with the current story. The current story has its own romantic duo and suspense.
Stairs take you up or down to the next street.

Until then, be sure to read my last series, The Love and Murder Series. You can find all of my books on my Amazon Page and on my web site. You can read the first chapter of all of my books on my web site. And you are welcome to email me with questions or comments whenever you'd like!

10 comments:

Leah St. James said...

Sounds like a fascinating story and area, Brenda, including the hippy enclave that doesn't welcome visitors! Intriguing. I'm picturing people peeking suspiciously at you from inside their homes/businesses as you and FDW drove by. I loved your Love and Murder series and am looking forward to this book!

Margo Hoornstra said...

This new series of yours is going to be fantastic. Story within a story within a story books would be hard to write, but I’m sure you’re up to it. I’m looking forward to reading them when you’re done. Love the idea of the hippies who still live there. Having grown up in those fabulous sixties myself, I can almost feel your characters now. LOL

Rolynn Anderson said...

Love this, Brenda! I understand the challenge...in my Lie Catchers, I juxtaposed a 1932 crime with a recent crime. It's tough to keep the reader enticed by a cold case and a 'hot' case...unless the two entangle deftly. But this keeps our brains afire, right. Thanks for the pics, too. Love the idea you have a 'better' image of Joshua than the real Jerome. You've got this one, girl!

Jannine Gallant said...

Definitely a challenging concept you've provided for yourself. But you can give yourself a huge pat on the back once you conquer this series! Also, the setting looks unique and very cool, which will only enhance the story.

Alison Henderson said...

I'm really looking forward to this one, Brenda. It sounds like the setting is a character unto itself, and I love that. I'm hoping to do the same thing with my new series that's set here. It really helps to be able to visit the scenes in person.

Brenda Whiteside said...

Thank you all. Sorry late responding. I've been stuck out of town helping son's family move. Will be a couple of days before I get home. But at least Internet as of today. Just not much time to get on.

Andrea Downing said...

Sounds great Brenda. And I love those old mining towns. Good luck with this challenge��

Brenda Whiteside said...

Thanks, Andrea!

Diane Burton said...

This sounds so interesting, Brenda. I had a chance to go to Jerome the last time we were in AZ and passed it up. I thought we could go "next time". LOL Maybe we'll get back there someday. The town sounds fascinating.

Mackenzie Crowne said...

Oh, Brenda, I love this and can't wait to read the finished product. Jerome is one of my favorite day trips. There is just something about the town, perhaps the crazy climbing road with rugged splashes of civilization clinging to its death-defying ledges, that tickles the imagination. I've visited many times and have also used the setting in one of my early (unpublished) stories. One of my favorite visits included a freak winter storm. It was raining as I began climbing the staircase across the street from the visitor's center. Halfway to the top, the rain suddenly switched to snow (VERY cool experience) and by the time I rushed into the Haunted Hamburger for lunch with a friend, a blizzard had taken over. It's always an adventure in Joshua...er, Jerome! ;-)